Hello from Central Illinois!!!! I just had the honor of speaking to a wonderful group of gals of all ages at New Castle Bible Church in Mackinaw, Illinois. I was able to meet the gracious and beautiful Connie, the event’s contact gal, in person and all of the members of the wonderful committee. What an organized and on-purpose group of gals!!!! EVERYTHING about the event was fantastic and my to top it off, my accountability partner Mary lives a half hour from here and was able to come work my book table and spend a little time with us.

It was a nearly 6-hour drive to get here, but worth every “he’s-crowding-my-space-and-her-music-is-too-loud-and-when-are-we-going-to-be-there” minute. Yep, the whole clan came down. Our last end-of-summer get-away and the FIRST get-away for dear hubby who has been working like a madman getting the basement painting fininshed.

Mackenzie performed a song in sign language at the end of my first talk and the boys got to hang out with dad at the hotel swimming and at the church’s teen center playing pool and basketball. Then later, Kenzie scooted over to my friend Jill Savage’s house (she came to help too) to spend the night with her daughter Erica. Kenz and Erica have known about each other for years but just last spring spent time together. They hit it off right away and are like twins separated at birth!!

Later this morning, we’ll pick Kenz up, head home to Michigan and hope to stop off to see Todd’s mom in the process. Then it is home to keep unpacking and getting ready for school to begin next week.

But for now, I am enjoying the last few quiet moments in the hotel and thanking God for the many sweet women I was able to meet last night, many of whom shared what God is doing in their lives to change their hearts to be more like Him. I LOVE seeing God work first hand as He challenges us to embrace our lot in life, however little it may seem.

And by the way…..so many of the gals last night wanted to know what song it was that Mackenzie signed to. It was Broken Things sung by our friend Sylvia Lange. Her website address is www.sylvialange.com

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!!!!!

Sweet Blessings,

Karen

 

 

Hi all!

Just hopping on for a quick update to let you know that it may be quiet here for another week or so. The carpet finally went in the basement!!!! Yippeee!!!!

Now, we are moving the second half of our things into Kenz and Mitch’s bedrooms and setting up the family room and school/homework area too. Oh, and tagging LOTS of items for our big “we downsized our life” garage sale. In the midst of all of this, I have my only speaking engagement of the summer this Thursday at New Castle Bible Church in Mackinaw, Illinois. Kenz and I are so excited to go. Once we pack our suitcases, I finish ordering books for school, haul some more boxes and pieces of furniture into the basement…..oh, and FIND MY NOTES FOR MY TALKS!!!!! (Yes, this from the gal who writes and speaks on organization. No clever comments needed!!!)

I’ll be back as soon I can fit blogging back into my priority line up. Right now, I’m still playing catch up!!!!

Sweet Blessings,

Karen

After listening to my ramblings about the little differences I noticed about people after being in the south a few days, now it is time to tell you this.

Things I LOVE about southern folk:

Their friendliness. When walking, strolling, riding a bike or attempting to run (like I do) down the quaint southern streets down here, you CANNOT pass a person without them saying ‘hi’ or ‘hello’ or even ‘hey y’all’ to you. Don’t always see that in other parts of the country.

Their beverage making ability. Okay, forget the whole Coke thing. I have discovered sweet tea!!!! Even took Sweet Tea 101 from Marybeth. In my home growing up, we made sweetened tea this way….are you ready?….pencils sharpened?….don’t miss it now…..We drove to Meijer Thrifty Acres and bought Lipton powered instant tea. The jar that said sweetened, not unsweetened!!  That’s it! Here they boil and brew and make sugar go into solution and let it cool to room temp and no, you can’t use decaf bags and, oh my, my kids are hooked!!!!! I can’t be. I’ll be up all night and gain back 20 of my lost pounds!!!!

Their pace. People don’t appear to be in such a hurry here. Now granted, it may be because we are on an island where it is obvious most people are either renting a house for a week or vacationing in their second home, but I have not sensed the “get-out-of-my-way-I’m-in-a-hurry-in-fact-I-am-late-and-you-are-making-me-later syndrome I often encounter and, sadly, I sometimes exhibit.

Their pride in their culture. Any attempt to poke fun at their way of life sends their flags flying high as they verbally defend their own.

Their pride in their appearance. By that I mean their home, themselves, their little palm tree—pretty flowerbed yards. Folks around here seem to not mind spending time taking care of the bodies and the homes God has given them.

Their willingness to be associated with the Bible. Now, I did not fall off of the turnip truck yesterday. I do know that the south is known as the Bible belt. However, being from the Midwest, I really notice this every time I have been here (which is about 5 times so far) People weave going to church, prayer, God, the Bible, the Holy Spirit and Jesus into their conversations very naturally and don’t seem one bit hesitant or ashamed. For crying out loud, I even heard yesterday of a small public school that, due to a remodeling issue is meeting at a church AND the parent-staff committee often makes meals for families in need sends out prayer requests. WHAT?!?!?! Unheard of where I come from!!!!

I’ll say it again. I LOVE THE SOUTH!!!

I write all of this to say that God has taught me a huge lesson during my time here at the beach. While it has been a delight to be the recipient of some good ole’ southern hospitality and the things I love about the south FAR outweigh any little pet peeve I poked fun at yesterday, the real lesson has been about my family.

Our life in the past three months has been so stressful and hurried that, even though in a way we have gotten through it without freakin’ out (read my posts from June if you need to catch up) I have let the little things about my husband and kids that drive me nuts make me blind to the good qualities they have. If it is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder, what does a mom, a dad, two teens and a strappin’ ten year old boy cramming themselves and all of their stuff into two rooms do to you? It makes any and everything magnified. It makes you get on each other’s nerves at the drop of a hat. It tempts you to let the differences drown out the delightful.

Now, in my kid’s defense, they have done great. I’d give them an A- or a B+ in how they have handled it. Poor Mitch (13) hasn’t slept in a real bed but a half dozen times since the last day of June. (One reason he is happy to be here at the beach house. He’s been in a real bunk bed for 4 nights now!!!) Spencer (10) has had his little room overrun with other people wanting to bed down their for the night. He has happily given up his twin bed to others- Mitch’s overnight friends, his sister, even his dad who sometimes returns home from his late shift to find Kenzie sleeping in his spot since she too has no bed. Kenzie has had to, as a 17 year old girl who needs space both physically and mentally, pack and repack for mission trips and church camp work weeks and try to find a place to land when she is home. And my hubby is so adaptable and laid back. They have all been troopers. It is actually me who has done poorly.

You see, I am such a ‘ducks in a row” person that I let it bother me if my ducks aren’t all in said row standing at perfect attention. Well people, I can’t even FIND half of my ducks right now!!!!

We moved in July 1^st and had hoped to have the basement and resulting bathroom, family room and two bedrooms finished and ready to be occupied in 3-4 weeks. Hello!?!? We are now nearly at the end of week seven. Pushin’ two months. Most recently, we had hoped that after the kids and I return Sunday, the trim and paint would be done and the carpet would be laid Monday. Ahem..my dear hubby informed me, via the miracle of my little pre-paid Tracfone cell phone that my offspring make fun of, that the carpet can’t be laid for another week at least. So….. we still can’t settle in. I can’t feather my nest. I’ll need to keep walking by the enormous piles of boxes and plastic totes and bed frames and dressers that wait in my garage.

This mental distress, however minor in the grand scheme of life, has thrown me for a loop. I have let it bug me to the point where EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE bugs me. I have rolled my eyes at my children (not the other way around!) nit-picked at my hubby and, of course, noticed NONE of my own flaws. I have been so focused on the little things about my family that bug me that I have missed the delightful in their personalities. And it has taken this trip for me to get my head screwed back on straight.

Here at the beach I have discovered again why I love each of my family members. Baby-of-the-family Spencer is such a crack up. His one-liners now tickle me again instead of annoy. Mitch is so good at fixing and figuring out. He has helped Miss Marybeth (okay you Midwesterners, my kids would normally call her Mrs. Whalen. Here is the sweet south it is Miss Marybeth. And I’m bringing that practice home with me!!) anyhow….as I was saying…er, um…typing…he has helped her fix or figure out several things. And I have seen a side of both my boys that I know is there but don’t always get to see since we have no little ones around anymore. They are both big ole’ softies when it comes to little kids. Seeing Spencer bounce little Annaliese on his knee in the rocking chair and tip and twirl ‘til she screams with delight or watching Mitch take 6-year-old cutie Brad fishing on the pier “one more time please” has delighted my soul. These normally rough-and-tumble jocks have a sweet, tender side too. And Kenzie has spent time, Mary Poppins style, giving Miss Marybeth and mom both a break. I could have NEVER taken 6 other kids to the beach and returned with them all not only alive, but happy! She does it with ease!! And my husband. Oh my!!!! What an apology I owe him. He was not the problem. My current living arrangement is the problem. Absence does make the heart grown fonder. My heart is full of fondness for my college sweetheart turned father of my kiddos.

So let my little southern exposure week be a lesson to us all. While there are differences, whether by region or by family members, others are put into your life on purpose. Be intentional to look for the delightful. It is there. You just have to look for it. Don’t let the differences bug and gnaw and eat away at your peace. People are not the problem. Our stinkin’ attitude is the problem. May God give us the right attitude. He will if we ask. I just neglected to ask. Thankfully, the wonderful southern folk made me see it anew.

Thanks all y’all!!!

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:5-6

Sweet-tea tastin’ and Southern-folk lovin’ blessing,

Karen

Okay…so here are some random observations this Midwestern gal has made about southern folk after being on the ocean in North Carolina for two days:

People are severely soft drink-challenged in their vocabulary. They think everything is a Coke. They ask, “Do you want a Coke?” and then, if you answer “yes” they proceed to ask you what kind. “Pepsi, root beer, 7-up, Mountain Dew?”  Hello!!?? If I say I want a Coke, I mean a Coke. You know. Red can, traditional lettering, the whole nine yards. They only follow-up question that should be allowed when one answers yes to the Coke offer is “Regular or Diet?” Learn to say, “Would you like a soda?-(or a ‘soft drink’ or even a ‘pop’, for crying out loud!!!)””

 

People have different personal thermostats than us ‘normal’ humans from the north. It rained most of yesterday and was not blistering, boiling hot and humid. It was just nice. You know, short sleeve and Capri weather with a little moisture falling from the sky. For the love of Pete!!!! You’d think there was a Canadian cold front coming in. The natives broke out the sweaters and sweatshirts and complained in the grocery store about how COLD it was. Correction. It was not cold. It was cool. Nice. Temped. The perfect day for curling up with a good book. (Which I did) Get over it people. You haven’t experienced cold until you come from where I come from. I’ll invite you all up next February when it is 20 below zero with a wind chill of 40 below. Bring both your cute sweater AND your toasty sweatshirt.

 

Speaking of the grocery store…….. did you notice it is a two word phrase!!!  The proper way to let someone know that you need to run out to get some milk is to say “I am going to the GROCERY STORE” not “I am going to the GROCERY” Where I come from, grocery is an adjective not a noun. And what is this y’all stuff? And ahem….sweet Ashleigh… you said the plural form of y’all is ‘all y’all’???????!?!?! What?!?!?

 

People think turn signals are optional here.  They are not!!! Use your stinkin’ blinker!! Otherwise I just might ram this big, ole’ Michigan-made Buick into your hiney!! (Okay..so it was just one driver that happened to be in front of me…..I’ll not use my car as a weapon!)

 

Okay, I am done. And I am just attempting to be slightly funny.

Truth is…WE ARE HAVING A GREAT WEEK!!!!! Marybeth’sAnnaliese is feeling better. (It was croup) Our combined 8 kids are hanging out and having fun, even with an entire day of rain yesterday. I am getting lots of time to read and talk to God. And, I’m getting a little time to catch up on some writing. And I miss my husband TERRIBLY and am so glad I married him. I mention that because when I left, I wanted to put him on Ebay with no reserve!!! (trying to move to a house half the size of our old one, finish a basement and live out of boxes for 6 weeks straight does funny things to your view of your husband. You start to see him as the problem, not the situation as the problem.) Now I miss that handsome man like crazy!!!!

Will try to post more pictures soon.

Sweet Southern-tolerating Blessings, (Actually, I love y’all!!!! We just may move down here!!!)

 

Karen

Here are a few pics I was able to upload. Can’t figure out how to resize the others.  I’ll ask a teen later!  The hills in West Virginia               My boys in their glory because after 12 hours in the car, I let them buy one of those horrible energy drinks I never want them to have.                 Kenz with Ashleigh and Rebecca Whalen. Cute, cute…                Kenz and Ash soaking up the sun.

Yippeee!!!! After 16 hours and 17 minutes of family bonding time across 5 state lines in my daughter’s 1999 Buick LaSabre….we are finally here!!!

Yep, right now I am on the screened in porch, breathing in the ocean breeze, munching on crisp, green grapes and getting caught up on emails. The trip was relatively uneventful, with only one major family feud somewhere in the backwoods of Virginia about the temperature of the air conditioner. And there was the time or two I gasped when Kenzie took the corners a little too fast for my blood in the hills of West Virginia. (I thought I’d surely see Jesus!!) Other than that, the trip was great. We spent the last 45 minutes in the dark on a winding road leading to the ocean front making up our own version of the song “I wanna be inside your heaven” with our new words…”I wanna be with the Whalens” and laughing until our sides split.

The only bummer is that Marybeth’s 2-year-old daughter is very sick with an ear infection and clinging to mom. Neither of them has slept for the past two nights. Please pray that she feels better. Marybeth and I had some mom projects we wanted to work on but she has her little girl in her arms constantly trying to sooth her pain.

Took all 7 kids to the beach this morning. Will post pictures once Kenzie shows me how. Bye for now!

Sweet Sandy-toed blessings,

Karen

I just had a meltdown.

I knew it was coming and tried to ward it off, but this morning I broke.

It started with watching a tear-jerker movie that Kenz had on while I attempted to get caught up on my nomadic pile of paperwork (no office set up yet for Todd and me). The movie got me crying, then I let my mind wander and ponder all of the things I must have done before school starts.

Kenzie, 17, is a senior, but done with her high school credits (one good aspect of homeschooling—there are bad aspects too, but this one we made work to our advantage) so she is enrolled for her second semester at the local community college. Her books need to be ordered. Spencer, 10, will do three classes at home with me and three at Teenworks, a homeschool academy, on Thursdays. He needs books ordered and his uniform purchased. Mitchell, 13. takes reading from a dyslexic therapist and everything else from me, but we considered enrolling him for two classes at a local Christian school that will take homeschoolers on a one or two class basis. We still haven’t decided for sure what we will do. Couple that with living out of laundry baskets and boxes and the basement STILL not being finished (the latest was that carpet, the final step, could come a week from Monday. Now it may be delayed another week or so) and…..well…… I lost it! Got into the ‘poor me’ mindset and let my circumstances overwhelm me.

Cried for 45 minutes STRAIGHT!!!

Now, I have replaced the screaming of the circumstances with the still, small voice of God. He told me to calm down. To take a deep breath. To grab my kids and…… head to the beach!!!

You heard me. The beach.

My sweet friend Marybeth (friends for nearly ten years. Been together 5 times total) has invited the kids and I to spend next week with her and her kids on the ocean in North Carolina. Of course everything in my control-freak-mama-ducks-in-a-row-how-will-the-basement-ever-get-done- without-me-around personality says it is NOT a good idea for me to vacate the premises in the middle of all of this. But God, Todd and my accountability partner Mary all tell me different.

So to the beach it is. 15 hours away. With my three kids and I in the car—not a van—a car. I can feel the stress starting again!!!!!

Seriously, Kenz drives and the boys are old enough to ride semi-happily. So……..we are outta here come Monday, just before the break of day!!!

Until then, we will enjoy our Chinese dinner today to celebrate the opening of the Olympics, watch Kenzie and her band (as in Christian not the tuba-toting kind) sing at the St. Johns Mint Festival on Sunday. Then we’ll tie up loose ends here, throw our suits and sunscreen in a suitcase and HIT THE ROAD!!!

Internet access may be spotty. I’ll try to get on and post. And I have a few giveaways up my sleeve and our downsizing story to tell. I’ll do my best!!!

Sweet Sun-soaking Blessings,

Karen